Team SB project #1 - How to cut paper

This is a less "entertaining" post and a more functional, directions oriented one. I am doing a pocketfold invitation, with three inserts, a belly band, and lined envelopes. I ordered the materials from cardsandpockets, but am cutting/printing everything myself.

My trial runs, so you can see where we're headed.
The invite mat & patterned paper will be different.

The DIY goods. Nothing too fancy: Scissors, paper cutter (not shown), pencil, ruler (the one in the pic is in millimeters, how annoying). Clover pocketfold, cream square flap envelope, 8.5x11" patterned paper, regular printer paper.

Step 1: So as not to waste the cardstock/expensive paper, I used regular paper and cut it into various sizes to figure out the dimensions I wanted. And to practice using my cutter to be accurate.

Some of the sizes we tried out. For the invite, invite mat, inserts, band, liners.

Step 1b: Good Thursday night tv, a tasty cocktail, and a helpful fiance make this go faster.

Step 2: Once we were happy with the proportion/look, we wrote down all the dimensions and what type of paper would be used (cream, clover, or patterened) and tried to figure out how to maximize the paper we had.

Trying to figure it out by hand. We couldn't find a regular ruler, so we used a yardstick. A lil' cumbersome.

I found the best method was to go into powerpoint and resize the slide so that it is 8.5" x 11" (or whatever size your paper is). Then make little boxes for the sizes you need for the invite pieces and color code them. Then you can move the boxes around to maximize the space you've got. Our results (for the cream cardstock) are below. We did the same thing for the clover & patterned paper, but it looks basically the same.

Side note: You should probably do this BEFORE ordering. I was stressing that I'd not have enough, but it worked out ok.

Two 4.5" x 6.5" invitation mats + 3.5" x 5" inserts fit on one piece.

Three 3.5" x 6.5" inserts on another.

Three 3.5" x 6" inserts on another.

Step 3: The easy part! Cut and paste. Cut out the sizes you've planned and glue them to the preformed pocketfolds. I used a two sided glue runner so that there wouldn't be a line from real glue and that they'd be securely tacked down with no "gaps" on the edges.

Mr. SB & Elliot cutting paper.

We didn't cut the cream cardstock yet, because I'm not sure how my printer will handle small pieces of paper so I might have to print then cut, rather than cut then print. But it's planned and ready to go for that day in the future. We also didn't glue in the envelope liners, because (for now) I'm planning on printing the addresses and don't want the extra thickness in the printer.

The finished result. All liners cut and folded/scored. Invite mats & belly bands glued down.

Overall, I think team SB did a great job on our first project (in my humble, unbiased opinion) and I can't wait to see the finished product.

How have your "team" projects gone?